A blank canvas

In the name of the brand devoted to relaxed tailoring, the charm and potential of every first step.

‘TELA’ is the simplest of weaves and in its purity lies its sophistication. Tela is the starting point for a dress, but also the start of an artwork. The creative director of TELA, Federica Mora, is positive about this. She has been inspired by her previous product merchandising experiences at brands such as Max Mara and Cerruti in the search for a sartorial elegance for her label, which she founded in 2009. “In Italian, Tela is a feminine noun and femininity is also the brand mission: womanly and minimal at first sight, yet influenced by careful research,” explains Federica Mora. “A plain weave, or Tela, is the same front and back. It always looks the same, it shows itself as it is and evokes the idea of a genuine product, stemming from good taste rather than being thought through and conceptual. Tela in Italian also signifies the canvas used for painting. It is the expression of a mood, a feeling, an art. In tailors’ jargon the term is used to mean the baste, the prototype that gives a first impression of what the final bespoke garment could look like. The concept of TELA intrinsically conveys an idea of versatility. TELA is equivalent to a new project, like the original conception for the writer of a book or a blank canvas for a painter.” TELA is the expression of the potential of the future. The brand’s short-term plans include the opening of its e-commerce arm backing up the network of boutiques where TELA is present, from the Galeries Lafayette in France to Tsum in Russia, Fenwick in Britain and My Boon in Korea, together with Wait and See, Fiacchini, Gibot and Macondo in Italy.